A lot of big cities, like London, have got many traffic problems. Sometimes a journey of a few kilometres can take more than an hour. So what’s the best way to get across London? For a very short journey, it’s probably a good idea to walk. But what happens when you want to go further?
很多大城市，比如伦敦，都有许多交通问题。有时短短几公里就要花一个多小时。那么穿越伦敦的最佳方式是什么？如果是很短的路程，步行也许最好。但当你需要走得更远呢？
The presenters of a popular TV car show decided to find out. Each of the presenters chose a different type of transport to make the same 27-kilometre journey. One presenter went by bike. One went by car. Another chose public transport – the underground and the bus – and the last one travelled by speedboat up the River Thames. They all started at the same time and the same place in West London, but who got to City Airport in East London first?
一档热门电视汽车节目的主持人决定找出答案。每位主持人选择不同的交通方式完成同一段 27 公里的路程：有人骑车，有人开车，有人乘公共交通（地铁与公交），还有人坐快艇沿泰晤士河而上。他们在同一时间、同一地点（伦敦西部）出发，那么谁最先到达伦敦东部的城市机场呢？
The results were a surprise. The bike came first. In second place was the speedboat. Public transport came third and the car was last.
结果令人意外：自行车第一，快艇第二，公共交通第三，汽车最后。
So the presenters had an answer. The bike was quicker than all the other types of transport and the car was slower. They weren’t very happy with the result because they wanted the car to win. They made a joke and said the bike wasn’t a real winner because it was more dangerous.
主持人们得出了答案：自行车比其他方式更快，而汽车更慢。他们对结果并不满意，因为他们希望汽车获胜。他们开玩笑说，自行车不算真正的赢家，因为更危险。
But, of course, the bike is the real winner. It’s the best way to get about. It’s cheaper than public transport and healthier for you than a car. It’s also better for our cities because bikes don’t pollute the air. So next time you need to go into town, think before you and your parents get into the car – “Can we make this journey by bike?”
当然，自行车才是真正的赢家：它是最好的出行方式，比公共交通更便宜、比汽车更健康；也更利于城市，因为不会污染空气。所以下次要进城时，在你和父母上车前先想想：这段路能骑车吗？
| English | IPA | 中文 |
|---|---|---|
| traffic | /ˈtræfɪk/ | 交通 |
| journey | /ˈdʒɜːni/ | 旅行；行程 |
| kilometres | /kɪˈlɒmɪtəz/ 或 /ˈkɪləˌmiːtərz/ | 公里 |
| way | /weɪ/ | 方式；途径 |
| across | /əˈkrɒs/ | 穿过；横越 |
| further | /ˈfɜːðə/ | 更远；进一步 |
| presenters | /prɪˈzentəz/ | 主持人 |
| popular | /ˈpɒpjələ/ | 受欢迎的 |
| decided | /dɪˈsaɪdɪd/ | 决定（过去式） |
| type | /taɪp/ | 类型 |
| public | /ˈpʌblɪk/ | 公共的 |
| underground | /ˈʌndəɡraʊnd/ | 地铁 |
| travelled | /ˈtrævəld/ | 旅行（过去式） |
| place | /pleɪs/ | 地点 |
| West | /west/ | 西部 |
| East | /iːst/ | 东部 |
| results | /rɪˈzʌlts/ | 结果 |
| surprise | /səˈpraɪz/ | 惊讶 |
| slower | /ˈsləʊə/ | 更慢 |
| joke | /dʒəʊk/ | 玩笑 |
| said | /sed/ | 说（过去式） |
| dangerous | /ˈdeɪndʒərəs/ | 危险的 |
| cheaper | /ˈtʃiːpə/ | 更便宜 |
| healthier | /ˈhelθiə/ | 更健康 |
| cities | /ˈsɪtiz/ | 城市 |
| pollute | /pəˈluːt/ | 污染 |
| parents | /ˈpeərənts/ | 父母 |